Vacuum tube socket



Jan. 16, 1962 s. MQDEL CAMP VACUUM TUBE SOCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2'7, 1955 JEZEHZQJI' Sc/P/ONE /"I DEL CAMP 1962 s. M. DEL CAMP 3,017,604

VACUUM TUBE SOCKET Filed May 2'7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SC/P/ONE DEL CAMP United States Patent 3,017,604 VACUUM TUBE SOCKET Scipione M. De] Camp, Maywood, Ill., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 27, 1955, Ser. No. 511,448 Claims. (Cl. 339-194) This invention relates to an improved vacuum tube socket constructed for electrical connection with printed circuitry.

One object of my invention is the provision of a socket constructed in a way enabling it to be attached quickly and efiiciently to a supporting panel carrying printed circuitry.

Another object of my invention relates to the construction of the contact members carried by the socket wherein the terminal elements have integral attaching elements which serve to close substantially the panel openings through which they extend thereby limiting passage of flux through the panel openings which is applied to the socket unit in preparation for a dip soldering operation.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a socket member constructed in a way to facilitate its attachment to a supporting panel by the use of automatic machinery.

Other objects and uses of my invention will be apparent from inspection of the drawings and specification hereinbelow set forth.

Referring to the drawings in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of my preferred socket member,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the socket shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the socket shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a preferred assembly including a supporting panel carrying printed circuits and a socket device carried by the panel having contact terminals positioned with relation to the printed circuits for permanent electrical connection with the circuits,

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the installation shown in FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a top view of the contact member carried by the socket device,

FIG. 8 is a side view of the contact member shown in FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, the contact member being turned 90,

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the contact member shown in FIGS. 7 to 9,

FIG. 11 is a section taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 8, and

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 12 showing a prong germinal in electrical engagement with the contact mem- Referring to the drawings I have illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, my improved socket assembly which includes a supporting panel 1 of insulating material having an upper surface 2 and a lower surface 3. The panel 1 has a circular series of openings 4 and an opening 5 disposed in the center of the series of openings 4. The panel 1 may carry printed circuits on both upper and lower surfaces, but in my preferred form printed circuits 6 are disposed on the lower surface 3 only of the panel 1. Each of the printed circuits 6 has an end portion 7 which terminates adjacent an opening 4. In my preferred assembly, a grounding circuit 8 is also provided which has an end portion 9 terminating adjacent the opening 5. A

3,017,604 Patented Jan. 16, 1962 ice socket unit 10 carrying contact members 11 is secured in pre-soldering assembly with the panel 1. Each of the contact members 11 has a terminal element carrying an attaching element which extends through an opening 4 of the panel 1 and in final assembly of the parts is soldered into electrical connection with a printed circuit 6 in the manner well known in the art.

Referring in detail to the construction of the socket unit 10, the socket includes a lower insulating plate 12 and an upper insulating plate 13. A disc 14 is preferably assembled with the socket unit and disposed on the upper surface 15 of the plate 13 for guiding the terminal prongs of a vacuum tube (not shown) into engagement with the contact members. The lower plate 12 has a plurality of contact-receiving openings 16 having prongreceiving portions 17 at their inner ends (FIG. 3). The openings 16 are elongated in shape and arranged substantially in a circle. The upper plate 13 has a circular series of openings 18 (FIG. 1) conforming to the spacing and arrangement of the end portions 17 of the openings 16. The plates 12 and 13 and the guide disc 14 are secured in assembly by a center shield or rivet-like member 19 which extends through aligned openings (not shown) in the centers of the superposed plates in the manner well known in the art.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 11 which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the contact member 11, the contact is formed from a single piece of spring metal. The contact member has a pair of opposed wing portions 20 which are joined at adjacent ends to form a bight 21. Prong-engaging elements 22 are integrally joined to the wing portions 20 at opposite ends from the bight 21. Each of the prong-engaging elements 22 is arcuate in form and disposed in complementary opposed mating relation to the other attaching element to form a receptacle 23 (FIG. 7) for receiving and engaging a tube prong 23a (FIG. 12) inserted into the receptacle. In engagement of a tube prong with the prong-engaging elements 22, the elements22 will expand against tensional forces set up in the wing portions 20 and the bight 21 to engage resiliently the tube prong and effect an eflicient electrical connection therewith. Tab elements 24 are integrally joined to the upper edges 25 of the wing portions 20 and extend laterally from the wing portions to engage the upper surface of the plate 12 so as to support the contact member in the manner Well known in the art.

Each of the contact members has a terminal portion 26 integrally joined to the wing portions 20 adjacent the bight 21 and extending away from the wing portions 20. Each of the terminal portions 26 is of generally channel shape and comprises a back portion 27 and spaced sidewalls 28. It will be noted that the back portion 27 forms a continuation of the bight 21 and each of the sidewalls 28forms a continuation of one of the wing portions 20. As a result of this construction the terminal 26 is rigid in form except for a tendency of the wall portions 28 to move apart to a very slight degree when a tube prong is moved into electrical engagement with the prong-engaging elements 22. An attaching or fastener element 29 is integrally joined to the outer end of each of the terminals 26. The attaching element 29 comprises a plurality of resilient finger elements 30 which are disposed in clustered arrangement to form a yieldable bulbous stud portion. The finger elements 30 diverge from their points of junction with the terminal portions 26 and then converge toward their outermost ends so as to form shoulder elements 31 which face generally in the direction of the wing portions 20 of the contact member and a tapered guide portion 32 at the outermost end of the attaching elements. The finger elements 30 are preferably in contiguous relation at the outer end 32 of the bulbous portion with the result that the space between the finger elements is reduced so that the bulbous portion forms a substantial seal for a purpose to be described. It will be noted that the wall portions 28 of each terminal portion 26 extend laterally beyond the attaching element 29 so as to provide shoulder elements 33 at the outer edges of each of the wall portions 28 which face in a direction away from the wing portions 20.

In assembly of the contact members 11 with the insulating plates 12 and 13, the wing portions 20 and prongengaging elements 22 of each of the contact members are positioned within an opening 16 so as to position mating arcuate elements 22 within the end 17 of the opening 16 in alignment with an opening 18 of the upper plate 13. The tab elements '24 of each of the contact members are disposed between the plates 12 and 13 so as to hold the contact members in assembly with the plates and the plates 12, 13 and 14 are maintained in assembly by the rivet-like shield member 19. The terminal portions 26 preferably extend away from the lower surface 35 of the plate 12 in a direction substantially normal to the plane of the surface 35.

In attaching the socket unit 11 to the supporting panel 1, the bulbous attaching elements 29 of the terminal portions 26 are moved into their respective apertures 4 to engage the finger elements 30 with the walls of the supporting panel surrounding the aperture 4. As pressure upon the socket unit 11 in the direction of the panel 1 is continued, the finger elements 30 of each of the attaching elements 29 will be contracted so as to permit passage of the attaching element through the aperture. After passage through the opening 4, the finger elements 30 will expand toward normal shape to engage the shoulder elements 3'1 behind the lower surface 3 of the panel 1 adjacent the respective end portion 7 of a printed circuit 6. Passage of the terminal portions 26 through the apertures 4 is limited by the shoulders 33 which abut the upper surface 2 of the panel 1 in the manner shown in FIG. 6. As a result of this construction the shoulder elements 33 of the terminal portions 26 and the shoulder elements 31 of the finger elements 30 cooperate to secure the socket unit in firm initial assembly with the supporting panel.

Permanent assembly of the socket unit with the panel 1 is accomplished by dipping the assembly into a solder bath so as to solder the attaching elements 29 and center shield 19 to the appropriate ends 7 and 9 of the respective circuits 6 and 8 in the manner well known in the art. As a result of this action, the metal conducting members of the socket unit are secured in fixed electrical connection with the printed circuits carried by the supporting panel and the socket unit is permanently attached to the supporting panel. By reason of the bulbous formation of the attaching elements 29 and the relatively close arrangement of the fingers 30, the attaching elements 29 operate to seal substantially the openings 4 of the supporting panel thereby limiting flow of flux through the openings 4 which is applied to the attaching elements 29 by a spraying operation from the lower surface of the supporting panel prior to a dip soldering application. As a result of the relatively rigid construction of the terminal elements 26 and the limited flexibility of the attaching elements 29, the socket unit is adaptable for application to a supporting panel by automatic machinery (not shown) operating to carry the attaching elements thereof into superposed aligned relation with each series of apertures 4 and then moving the attaching elements into the apertures 4 to assemble the socket units in pre-soldered attachment to the panel. Socket units of this general type providing contact members having terminals which are flexible for their entire lengths, such as are now in common use, are not as adaptable to efficient application by automatic machinery as the rigid terminal construction of the present device.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim: 7

1. An electrical socket comprising a body of insulating material having upper and lower surfaces, contact members carried by said body, each of said contact members having a prong-receiving portion and a terminal portion, said terminal portion comprising a rigid, non-flexible leg portion extending beyond the lower surface of said body, said leg portion being generally channel shaped in cross section, and a resilient bulbous portion comprising a plurality of resilient finger portions integrally joined to the outer end of said leg portion, said finger portions having upwardly-facing shoulder elements for fastener engagement with the lower surface of a supporting panel through an aperture thereof and in inclined relationship therewith, said leg portion having a downwardly-facing shoulder element in spaced opposed relation to said shoulder element of said finger portions for engaging the upper surface of a supporting panel in a substantially parallel relationship therewith.

2. An electrical socket comprising a body of insulating material having upper and lower surfaces, contact members carried by said body, each of said contact members having a prong-receiving portion and a terminal portion, said terminal portion comprising a rigid, non-flexible leg portion extending beyond said lower surface of said body, said leg portion being channel shaped in cross section and having a back wall and opposed, spaced side walls extending from said back wall in substantially parallel relationship, a plurality of resilient finger elements integrally joined to the outer end of said leg portion, each of said finger elements being of outwardly bowed construction, said finger elements being arranged in clustered relation to form a bulbous attaching portion having upwardly-facing shoulder elements in inclined relationship to the vertical plane thereof, and said side walls of said leg portion having free edges at their outermost ends extending laterally beyond said bulbous portion in a substantially transverse relationship to the vertical plane thereof to form a downwardly-facing shoulder element.

3. An electrical socket comprising upper and lower insulating plates, said plates having a registering series of contact apertures, contact members carried by said plates, each of said contact members having a prong-receiving portion disposed in an aperture of said lower plate and a mounting element overlying said lower plate for supporting said contact member, each of said contact members having a rigid, non-flexible leg portion extending beyond said lower plate and being generally channel shaped in cross section, and a resilient bulbous portion integrally joined to the outer end of each of said leg portions, said bulbous portion having upwardly-facing shoulder elements for fastener engagement with the lower surface of a supporting panel through an aperture thereof and in inclined relationship therewith, and each of said leg portions having a downwardly-facing shoulder element in spaced opposed relation to said shoulder elements of said bulbous portion for en 'aging the upper surface of a supporting panel in substantially parallel relationship therewith.

4. An electrical socket assembly comprising a panel having a series of openings, electrical circuits carried by said panel terminating adjacent said openings, an electrical socket providing a body of insulating material having upper and lower surfaces, said body carrying prongengaging contacts, each of said contacts having a rigid, non-flexible terminal portion extending beyond said body and being generally channel shaped in cross section, each of said terminal portions having a shoulder element for engaging said upper surface of said panel in parallel relationship therewith and each of said terminal portions having a flexible, bulbous portion extending through one of said openings and engaging material of said panel adjacent thereto in inclined relationship therewith whereby said socket is secured to said panel, said bulbous portions operating to close substantially said panel openings thereby to limit passage of solder through said panel openings during a dip soldering operation.

5. A socket of the type for mounting an electrical device having contact pins projecting therefrom on an apertured panel, and for electrically connecting said contact pins to conductive elements carried by said panel, said socket comp-rising a body of insulating material, a plurality of connector elements carried by said body, each of said connector elements comprising a pin-receiving portion for engaging a contact pin of said electrical device and a laterally oif-set terminal post portion for insertion in an aperture of said panel, said terminal post portion constituting an elongated, rigid, substantially tubular member one end of which is seated in and secured to said body so as to prevent flexing of said member relative to the body, the other end of said member being longitudinally slotted to provide laterally yieldab le side portions to permit insertion of said post in an aperture of said panel, and being tapered to facilitate such insertion, said tubular member being formed With longitudinally spaced, outwardly extending abutments for engaging opposite surfaces of said panel, the endmost of said abutments being located on said side portions so as to be laterally yieldable therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,656,856 Gagnon Jan. 17, 1928 2,458,993 Hanopol Jan. 11, 1949 2,480,059 Stickney Aug. 23, 1949 2,519,121 Del Camp Aug. 15, 1950 2,533,483 Losquadro Dec. 12, 1950 2,542,144 Kearns Feb. 20, 1951 2,551,970 Sampson May 8, 1951 2,586,854 Myers Feb. 26, 1952 2,613,244 Del Camp Oct. 7, 1952 2,626,978 Coyle Jan. 27, 1953 2,685,073 Damon July 27, 1954 2,694,799 Del Camp Nov. 16, 1954 2,790,961 Del Camp Apr. 30, 1957 2,794,962 Donato June 4, 1957 2,825,036 Sorensen Feb. 25, 1958 2,825,881 Del Camp Mar. 4, 1958 2,857,582 Wintress Oct. 21, 1958 2,858,519 Johanson et a1. Oct. 28, 1958 2,877,441 Narozny Mar. 10, 1959 

